The nakedness signifies vulnerability, the bowed head, the clasped hands imply despondency. A calmness surrounds the sculpture, disguising the inner trauma.
Stood in front of the class to be ridiculed, the legs become tired, the weight is shifted, creating unsteadiness, the figure teeters on the edge. The ears are locked shut, the keyhole exposed representing the medical examination but the right key can never be found. Desperate to escape the confinements of isolation.
The desk evokes the problems education can cause to the individual. Constantly in trouble, stood in corners, on chairs, pulled out to the front, smacked, punished, and abused. But worst of all to be called a 'stupid boy'.
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This sculpture acts as a visual 'devil's advocate', some viewers may be shocked that a deaf and dumb child is portrayed in this way. They may find it derogatory and insulting but as a deaf person trying to express my emotions, I have the need to stimulate discussion.
I have had a constant battle to communicate, a lifetime of effort to participate, striving to be accepted and constantly trying to disguise my inadequacies. I have always felt stupid and not as intelligent as others. I still carry this irrational trait. These feelings I hope are an intrinsic part of the sculpture.
The ears have a duality; some will see them as angel's wings, others as donkey's ears. The donkey/ass represents a stupid or stubborn person; the ears made from planks are broken, splintered, and nailed on crudely. Boarding up the ears implying dereliction, uselessness, and no access. They can also be seen as symbolising the crucifixion, relating to the pain, suffering and ridicule some deaf people experience. The saying 'as thick as two short planks' seems particularly apt.
The despondent figure is placed on a soapbox, a platform for speech making, again implying the importance of communication and greater understanding.
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I want the viewer to understand the isolation and frustration deaf people experience. The ears are made from the scroll of a violin, the tightening of the pegs imply pain, pressures, and tensions within the ear. A vice-like contraption threatening to crush the head like some Medieval torture.
I have experienced unrelenting infections, constant pain, and operations. A recent mastiodectomy and the drilling of a hole into my skull became particularly relevant to this sculpture when I was drilling the holes in preparation for the location of the pegs.
The figure is placed on an empty radio case, no mechanics, broken and empty. Deprived of clarity of sound, I have a constant battle to hear. It requires concentration to make sense of any sound, I have to decipher everything. Every sound mixes together, causing distortion and a slurring effect. Just try listening to an out-of-tune radio for any length of time.
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